UK Police In Cannabis 'Climbdown' And Other Countries' Approach To Marijuana Use

By George Bowden 
Three police forces have acknowledged that growing and using cannabis is no longer to be treated as a priority crime.
While cannabis remains a Class B drug in the UK, police chiefs including Durham’s Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg, say they will not actively pursue those growing or using leaves for personal, recreational use.
And Alan Charles, Derbyshire's PCC, told the Daily Mail: "When we are faced with significant budget cuts we cannot keep turning out to every single thing reported to us."

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Yet as the strength of feeling around the full decriminalisation of cannabis appears to grow in the UK, here are other countries where innovative drug policy has produced broadly positive results.

• Washington, U.S.
   
  ASSOCIATED PRESS
  Washington state effectively decriminalised cannabis in July 2014. In the first year, over $70 million in tax revenues have been taken by the state, generated by marijuana sales. The state’s control board says that dispensaries sold $257 million worth of the drug.
• Colorado, U.S.
   
  ASSOCIATED PRESS
  Colorado legalised recreational cannabis use at around the same time. It has even legalised advertising, subject to strict audience prescriptions. Although, the first-ever marijuana advert was pulled from schedules last week. But federal laws prohibiting cannabis use plague those states which have legalised the drug. For example, national banks cannot allow cannabis purchases on their platforms, necessitating the use of cash and heavy security as a result.
• The Netherlands
   
  ASSOCIATED PRESS
  Amsterdam has a long-standing tradition of tolerance, acceptance – and moderation. While production remains illegal, its ‘coffee shop culture’ allows the freedom to enjoy the drug with minimum risk.
• Switzerland
   
  ASSOCIATED PRESS
  The famously neutral country voted to legalise cannabis in January 2015. With Swiss teenagers most likely to experiment with drugs, according to Unicef. The new laws create a regulated, legal marketplace.
• Spain
   
  3dom/Flickr
  Several less conservative Spanish regions have allowed the creation of ‘cannabis clubs’ including Barcelona, Valencia and the Basque County. These clubs operate much like those in Amsterdam. A legal clause allowing the growing of marijuana for personal use allows their continued operation.
• Portugal
   
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  Since becoming the first European country to scrap criminal penalties for the personal possession of cannabis, Portugal has led the way in drug policy. It has not seen significant increases in the use of drugs. Drug induced deaths have fallen, too.
• Chile
   
  AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo
  Chile has experimented with granting permission to growers who cater for the medicinal marijuana market -- allowing production for non-personal use. The municipality of Santiago is harvesting legal medical marijuana as part of a pilot program aimed to help ease the pain of cancer patients.